Unexpected Help
by Sherlockian89
Summary: While searching for Buffy in LA Giles gets some help from a fellow Englishman. Set during season 3 for BTVS and pre-series for Elementary. AU


Title: Unexpected Help

Author: Sherlockian89ve

Fandoms: Elementary and Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Summary: While searching for Buffy in LA Giles gets some help from a fellow Englishman.

Disclaimer: The characters used belong to their respective companies/and/or creators. No profit is made from this story.

Rupert Giles sat in his motel room completely exhausted when his cell phone began to ring. "Hello?" He asked."Hi, Giles, it's Willow. How's the search going?"

"Hello Willow," Giles replied. "Not so well, I'm afraid. I may try to contact some friends in the morning and see how that goes."

"Oh." Willow said; clearly disappointed. "Well I wish you luck." She told him.

"Thank you Willow. Please say 'hi' to Oz and Xander for me."

"I will," Willow promised. "Giles, bring Buffy home. Please."

Giles sighed. "I'll do my best." He promised and hung up. The next morning Giles awoke bright and early to renew his search of Buffy when there was a knock on the door. Quickly, he went to the door and looked through the peephole and saw a tall young man with a scarf around his neck and wearing a tweed jacket. "Mr. Giles?"

"Yes," Giles answered. "Who is it?"

"My natme is Sherlock Holmes and I believe I can help you."

Slowly Giles unlocked the door and opened it. "H-how can you help me?" He stepped aside to allow Sherlock to enter the motel room.

"I have for several weeks now while during my brief stay in the City of Angels and noticed some very strange things involving the homeless and the runaways of the city." Sherlock informed Giles. "Perhaps, if we search those areas we may be able to find your young friend."

"Prehaps," Giles agreed, then asked. "Would you care for some coffee or tea?"

Sherlock nodded. "Coffee would be good, thank you."

As Giles poured the coffee into two Styrofoam cups he asked: "Cream and sugar?"

"Black, one sugar, " Holmes replied. Giles handed Sherlock his cup as he sat down on the bed. "So, what brings you to California, Mr. Holmes?" The Watcher asked.

Sherlock took a sip of coffee and then said: "To be prefectly frank, Mr. Giles. I had just finished a stint in a London rehab center and was on my way to New York when the plane I was on suffered some serious engine trouble. The pilot said that the repairs would take over a week at the very least. So since I find myself in this wonderful city, I may as well make myself useful to the local police."

"Have the local police requested your services?" Giles asked.

"Not so much, no." Holmes admitted as he drank his coffee. "Tell me about the young lady that you're looking for."

Giles sighed. Just how was he going to explain about Buffy to this stranger, he wondered. "Tell me, Sherlock have you ever heard of the Watcher's Council?"

Holmes thought for a moment then said: "No, I haven't. What does this Watcher's Council do?" So Giles explained to Sherlock the history of the Watchers Council and its role in helping the Slayer. By the time he had fnished the watcher was exhausted.

"And Buffy is a member of this council?" Sherlock mused. Rupert shook his head. "No. She is the slayer for this generation."

"Do you happen to have a picture of Buffy?" Sherlock asked. Rupert grabbed his wallet from the bedside table. He took out a 4x6 photo. "This was taken during the prom at Sunnydale High." Giles told Holmes as he handed Sherlock the photo.

Sherlock studied the photo quietly. Once he was done he said; "She's lovely." And handed the picture back to Giles. "Yes," the Watcher agreed. "She is indeed."

"Does Buffy know anyone here in LA?"

Giles thought for a moment. "She did have a few friends here; old classmates from her former school. Although, I doubt that they kept in touch since Buffy's moved to Sunnydale."

"What about her father?"

Giles scowled. "He trarvels, business mostly. I doubt he's seen her once within last six months." The Watcher paused, then asked the question that was foremost on his mind. "Mr. Holmes; how do you know me?"

Before replying Sherlock took one last swig of coffee. Once he finished he asked: "Do you remember your last year at Trinity College?"

Giles thought for a moment or two and then snapped his fingers. "You're Sherry Holmes." Upon hearing that nickname Sherlock turned as red as a beet. "I take that you know my brother, Mycroft then?"

"I think he and I took the same economics class that year," Giles said. "And if memory serves you and I had botany together."

Sherlock thought for a moment, then chuckled. "Poor old Mrs. Kirk. I remember testing one of the tomato plants for bugs. Unfortunately, she didn't exactly approve of my methods."

Giles chuckled. "Yes. Removing all those vines from the plant was not the best way to get rid of those bugs." Sherlock shrugged. "Perhaps." He glanced at the clock on the wall. Are you hungry, Mr. Giles?"

Giles too, glanced at the clock and was srprised at how late it had gotten. "I could eat."

"Excellent!" Sherlock said as he rubbed his hands together. Strangely Giles was reminded of The Simpsons character Mr. Burns. He shook his head in annoyance. _You ve been watching too much televison, Rupert._ "Is there someplace you had in mind?" The Watcher asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Sherlock replied as he opened the drawer and took out the phonebook. He flipped through the Restaurant section until he found a dnner called Max's. "There." Sherlock showed Giles the page with the dinner's name.

Giles pushed his glasses up as he looked at the page. "Do you think we'll find Buffy there?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure," Sherlock said. "But, it doesn't hurt to try. Right?"

"Right," Giles agreed, grabbing his coat, wallet, and motel key. "Ready Sherlock?"

Holmes nodded. "Let's go Rupert." Together the two men left the motel room in search of one woman-Buffy Summers.

By mutual agreement they decided to walk to the restaurant since the cost of a cab ride would just be too expensive for both the detective and the Watcher. As they walked Giles asked: "So what should we order when we get there?"

Sherlock thought for a moment then said: "Well, since the weather is a little chilly; I think some soup and a sandwhich would be ideal."

Giles nodded. "Sounds good." He glanced at his watch. "Come on, we better hurry if we want to beat the lunch crowd."

By the time Giles and Holmes arrived at the diner the crowd had thinned out. They chose a booth and started to get comfortable when a voice said. "Hi fellas, my name is Anne. What can for you today?"

At the sound of her voice Giles looked up and found himself staring at-Buffy.

At first Buffy thought she was dreaming. One of those dreams where you think you're awake but in reality, you are still in bed just waiting for the alarm to go off. It took nearly a minute for Buffy to find her voice and asked: "Giles, how did you find me?"

Giles smiled. "I had some unexpected help. Buffy Summers, meet Sherlock Holmes." Buffy blinked in surprise. "Um, nice to meet you, Mr. Holmes."

"The pleasure is mine, Miss Summers. Your picture hardly does you justice." Sherlock smiled. Buffy blushed, then thought. _Picture? What picture?_ She stole a glance at Giles, who was blushing. "I had Oz take a picture of you when you were accepting your Class Protector award." He explained.

"Oh. Okay." Buffy glanced at the clock. "Listen, Giles why don't I take yours and Mr. Holmes' order? My shift ends in twenty minutes. When it's done; can we go somewhere and talk?"

Giles nodded. "Certainly, Buffy. Oh, Mr. Holmes and I will have the soup and sandwhich combo." Buffy nodded smiled, and went to place their order to the cook. While they waited for their meal, Giles asked Sherlock just what he was going to do once he got to New York.

"Well," Sherlock said. "I plan to continue in my profession as a consultant. This time for the NYPD rather than Scotland Yard." He paused. "That is, as soon as my father can find a suitable watchdog er, _sober companion _for me."

Giles was sympathetic he too, knew the struggles of dealing with addiction. Although in the Watcher's case it was with dark magic, instead of heroin. "I understand." Giles told Sherlock. "Believe it or not, I had a similar experience in my twenties. However, in my situation black magic was my drug rather than heroin."

"Really?" Sherlock said. Just then Buffy returned with their food. "Sorry guys. The cook's girlfriend just wouldn't get off the phone. I hope everything's still warm."

"I'm sure everything's fine." Giles assured Buffy. The girl smiled. "Okay, I'll be in the Ladies room changing. See you in a bit."

"All right," Giles agreed with a smile. He noticed that Buffy had set two tea cups, a pot of water, and two tea bags with a note which read:

_Giles, Since I forgot to ask you what you wanted to drink, I'd figured you'd like some tea. It's Earl Grey. -Buffy._

"What is it?" Sherlock asked. So Giles showed Holmes the note. When Sherlock read it he too, smiled. "Well, that was thoughtful. The waitresses I've met usually give the check and that was it."

"Indeed." Giles chuckled. They ate their meal in silence. By the time they had finished Buffy had returned. "How was your lunch?" She asked.

"It was fine." Giles told her. He pulled out some money for the bill and the tip when Buffy shook her head. "Pay at the counter," Buffy told him. "Then leave the tip in the jar."

"Ah," Giles said. "Thank you, Buffy." She smiled. "Everybody ready?" Both Giles and Sherlock nodded. "Great! I've called a cab. It should be here by now."

"Miss Summers, you really shouldn't have troubled yourself," Sherlock said. "We walked here, we could have easily walked back to Mr. Giles's motel." When she heard this, Buffy snorted.

"Yeah, I'm sure you did. But I doubt you could do it again, after being on your feet for over eight hours a day." She sighed. "Sorry about that, I'm just really tired and I need to go and pack."

Hearing this, Giles couldn't help but ask: "You're coming back with me, then?" Buffy smiled.

"Yeah, I am. Call in the troops Giles and tell 'em the Slayer's coming home.

"Excellent!" Giles said, then paused. "Um, Buffy? Just how did you get here? To LA I mean."

"The bus," Buffy replied. "Why? How did you get here?"

"I flew," Giles said. "I have the return ticket, but it's for one person only."

"If I may?" Sherlock said. "I can pay for the tickets for both Buffy and myself. On one condition."

"Name it," said Giles.

"I come with you," Sherlock told him.

"I see no problem with that," Giles said. "But what about New York and your father?"

"Both I assure you, can live without my presence for another few days. Agreed?"

Giles looked toward Buffy, who nodded. "Agreed." The Watcher said. Just then the cab arrived, and together, the detective, the slayer, and the Watcher got in it. Thus began the journey to bring the Slayer home.

The End.


End file.
